Centrifugal steam separator



Match 11, 1930. ELLOR 1,750,395

CENTRIFUGAL STEAM SEPARATOR Filed April 1, 1929 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 VINVENTOR.

(jWMZZQW/ZZM A TTORNEY$ March 11,1930. J. ELLOR 1,750,395

CENTRIFUGAL STEAM SEPARATOR Filed April 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEYSPatented Mar. 11, 1930 ,1

UNITED STATE-s JAMES EDWIN ELLOR, OF DERBY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORlO'IB'CIILJLS ROYCE LIMITED,

or DERBY, ENGLAND CENTRIFUGAL STEAM SEPAFIATOR Application filed April1, 1929, Serial No. 351,724, and inerreat mealtime, 928,;

This invention has reference to the separat-' ing of steam from water.It is specially use ful in connection with evaporative cooling systems,commonly used in connection with 5 internal combustion engines, and asforming part of the system.

In connection with various devices, including evaporative coolingsystems, hot water at or approaching boiling point and steam arefrequently emitted from a chamber such as the cylinder water jacket of awater cooled engine, more or less intermixed, and for the purpose ofcondensing the steam and returning the water including the condensate tothe chamber or jacket it is desirable to separate the steam from thewater.

In connection with cooling systems of water cooled internal combustionengines the hot water apart from the escaping steam has a considerablevapour pressure, that is to say, there is a quantity of water which isonly held from becoming steam by the pressure of environment water, andhence when. the water is brought within the action of a pump a quantitywill frequently (owing to the vacuum produced) fiash into steam with theresult that steam bubbles are injected into the hot water jacket andlocalized heating results.

The object of this invention is to separate the steam (including wateron the point of escaping as steam) from the body of water, so as toensure that water, free from steam, shall be returned to the chamber orjacket.

According to this invention I construct a cooling system comprising incombination a centrifugal device, through which the water and steamissuing from the chamber or jacket passes, whereby the water is thrownto the periphery of a revolving chamber while the steam is allowed toescape through a separate conduit.

Preferably the form of device which I adopt is one in which the waterwhen thrown to the periphery of a chamber seals the outlet by which itescapes therefrom, against the passage of steam which perforce escapesby the providedconduit.

The revolving chamber may be caused to revolve either by the force ofthe water entering the same or bybeing driven: from the -engine or fromother source of power and it may be "used as apumpfor causingthewater tocirculate in the water cooling system. The water and steam 'mayco'nvemently be 'intro-. duced'intojtlie" apparatus m ans" of a volutechamber, this construction; having the advantage that the water 'tjefnds lto coll ect around the oute'riedge QfthevoIu'te"assistingthereby in i s" ereti nffiq elt e when it reaches h reyolviiig'jchamber.

I h omp fiy idraw gsae mt e of'thisinve'nti'on is illustratedj 'i,

Fig. l i's a diagrammat c representatiorijof an engine and radiatorjnwhich the epara or, also performs 'tha function 'of' the'eiriculatingpump. 7 Fig; 2fis a sirnila'r diagramshbwin g an arrangement whereafse'parate circulating pump is used and the rotorof the separator is.1.

either driven from the engine for is self-driving. Fig.3 i s'aisectional elevation of 'aseparator made according"to this invention.Fig.- is a section ofFig. 3 on the line 2 2 'Off Referring to Fig. 1, ais the water jacket of the cylinders of an engine, I) is the radiatorand 0 the separator made in'accordance with this invention. Referring toFigure 2, a is the water acket, b the radiator, c the separator made inaccordance with this invention and (Z a circulating pump. In both theline of travel of the water and condensate is indi-' cated by theshortarrows and that of separated steam by long arrows. v

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 the fixed part of the apparatus consists ofthree castings e, f and g. I 1 v The casting 6 consists of a circularvessel with a volute passage way 6 issuing from its base and a centralcylindrical projection e The casting f is an inverted funnel shapedmember with a truncated stem.

The casting 9 consists of a central chimney or shaft 9 a passage way 9encircling the shaft or chimney forming a volute pathway through whichwater and steam is introduced into the apparatus.

h is a basin shaped member having an upstanding pillar having a verticalhole therethrough in its centre, and with an internal thread around therim and h is an annular member with an external thread engaging thethread on the member it for the purpose of forming an inturned lip tosuch member.

The member ]L is constructed with radial blades k shaped to give anarrow clearance between such blades on the one hand and the shaft or'chimney g and the funnel shaped member f on the other hand. The bladesare not: necessarily respectively in one plane. They might for examplebe curved.

z is a spindle rotating in a flanged bearing bush 2' formed with ashoulder i and with a threaded end to engage the nut i.

The apparatus functions as follows lVith apparatus as described waterand steam coming'down the upper volute passage and moving tangentiallyinto the basin shaped member it would cause such member to rotate. Butapart from such rotation the basin shaped member can be rotated throughthe-instrumentality of the spindle 2'.

In either case the Water is thrown to the periphery of the basin shapedmember While the Tst'e'am'collects in the centre, and as the Watercannot escape until it reaches the upper edge Oftheimember h the Waterforms zi'seal preventing any. steam from escaping between, the basinshaped member 7L and the funhelfjsl aped member)" v The water escapi'ngoverflows, the, member hand passes down the irolute passage Way 6Wliileall steam separatedfpassesup through the chimney g andthenleetothe radiator;

.,Wl'1at'l 3 cleimisz V i An! apparatus for the separation ofinixed'water and steam, comprising a easiirrggja rotary basin in saidcasing, spaced therefrom and provided'with radial blades, aehimneyrising from said basin for the escfa'pej therefrom of separatedsteam, a volute conduit leading to' said basin for the passageqfgmixedwater and steam, and an outlet conduitf for the water from saidbasin, located l.el'o'w"th e latter, the basin having a contractedoutlet, at its upper edge to form a Warter'seal, and constructed andadapted to cause the Water, to escape therefrom by overflowing the edgethereof;

2.. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the edge of the basin isformed with an inturned flange, and the inlet conduit formedwith aflaring flange which is overlappedby the basin flange and contracts fromthe basin;

Inftestimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

JAMES EDWIN ELLoR.

